Port Edward, KwaZulu-Natal
Encyclopedia
Port Edward is a small resort town situated on the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, right on the Eastern Cape Province border.
Port Edward is a tourist resort for seasonal visitors from more affluent regions of South Africa. The coastline between here and Port Shepstone to the north is popularly known as the Hibiscus Coast because of its lush sub-tropical gardens.
There are many tourist seasons that influence Port Edward but the most significant is the Christmas / New Year period spanning from early December to mid-January. Port Edward's Silver Beach hosts an annual New Year's Eve party frequented by white people whilst on New Year's Day itself, black people populate the beach for continued celebrations. Another main season coincides with the Sardine run
Sardine run
The sardine run of southern Africa occurs from May through July when billions of sardines – or more specifically the Southern African pilchard Sardinops sagax – spawn in the cool waters of the Agulhas Bank and move northward along the east coast of South Africa...
natural phenomenon usually occurring from late May to mid-July.
History
In 1831 there was a crisis between the settlers in Port Natal (DurbanDurban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
) and Dingane
Dingane
Dingane kaSenzangakhona Zulu —commonly referred to as Dingane or Dingaan—was a Zulu chief who became king of the Zulu Kingdom in 1828...
, the Zulu
Zulu Kingdom
The Zulu Kingdom, sometimes referred to as the Zulu Empire or, rather imprecisely, Zululand, was a monarchy in Southern Africa that extended along the coast of the Indian Ocean from the Tugela River in the south to Pongola River in the north....
king. Some settlers boarded a ship that was in the harbour and the others, including Henry Francis Fynn
Henry Francis Fynn
Henry Francis Fynn was an English traveler and trader. His diary covers the period from 1824 to 1836 and is the story of the first white settler in Natal, the earliest account of life in Natal...
and his family, fled down the coast. The Zulu warriors caught up with them where Port Edward is today and massacred the fleeing settlers, which included local tribespeople of Langeni, on a hill called Isandlundlu (in English, shaped like a hut). The place has been known ever since as Tragedy Hill and its slopes are still littered with the bones of the victims.
In 1878, the ship "The Ivy" ran aground on Port Edward's beach.
In 1925, the area was owned by TK Pringle, and named Banner Rest. A village was laid out and was named Port Edward in honour of the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
, who later became King Edward VIII
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
.